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“The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lays not only in his fight for equality, but in his inspiration and leadership. In the face of daunting adversity, Dr. King pushed forward, not because it was easy or popular; on the contrary, what he did was difficult and dangerous. His work and greatness lives on by motivating us all to strive for a better America.”

“Today, as we celebrate Dr. King’s memory, let us also renew our commitment to emulating his drive and spirit. As you plan your year ahead, consider committing to doing something that will take you out of your comfort zone, helping others and serving a greater good. Commit to asking the difficult questions and leading in a way that will make you and those who surround you better.” -PRSA

“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

What are you doing for others? Think of ways you can share your light by illuminating hope and joy in the lives of others. Find the treasure in each person’s life as you look at the world with a lens of love! Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!

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Limitations are just guideposts. They may signal different routes or different ways to reach a destination. But they won’t prevent us from getting there, unless we empower them to do so. -Patrick Lindsay

Outshine Your Limitations

Gina Rodriguez won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Comedy for her work as Jane in The CW’s television show “Jane the Virgin.” She is a shining inspiration for her refusal to accept limitations potentially placed on her by Hollywood’s vision of what audiences want to see and expect. She pursues her craft with integrity and dares to tell stories that connect and inspire.Jane the Virgin is renewed for season 2 on the CW! You can catch up on all the episodes this week or online!

Find Glee in Being the Best You

The sixth and final season of Fox’s televisionGlee started to air last week. The show has been known for spotlighting the underdogs with their endearing vulnerability and bright personalities as they overcome expectations and difficulties together. They go for their dreams! Last week’s episode was filled with memorable quotes such as what the character Will said to Rachel.

“Have you ever seen a guy shoot a bow and arrow? The power is created by the bending of the bow. The more the bow bends, the more potential energy is created. Life’s challenges age not just bending of the bow. The bigger the challenges, the more the bow bends, the more potential you create to do something amazing. All you have to do is find a purpose, find the arrow that you’re gonna put in that bow.” Will to Rachel from Glee

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There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no – it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but one season in the tree’s life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are – and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life – can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Don’t judge a life by one difficult season. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Happy Monday!

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The US premier of the musical production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” at La Jolla Playhouse soars past Disney’s cartoon version to reveal epic storytelling backed by a dramatic score. What resonated in me deeply was the weight of the question weaved throughout great storytelling. “Who is the monster and who is the man?”

The two and a half hour production entertains swiftly starting from Quasimodo’s physical transformation from a regular man to a disfigured one. Actor, Michael Arden makes this dramatic transformation by putting on a hump, distorting his body and smearing black streaks across his face right in front of the audience. Throughout the production there is a mixture of stunning vocals and theatrical spectacle telling the story through dark suspenseful scenes as well as joyous moments like the gypsy parade of Topsy Turvey—a familiar tune by Disney’s Alan Menken version. The ending dramatically concludes effectively as it began with Arden removing the hump and black streaks from his face.

Ciara Renee as Esmeralda and the cast of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” at the La Jolla Playhouse.-Kevin Berne

It is at these metamorphoses and unmasked transitions where the show makes the leap from lighthearted jokes to anchoring down one of the messages that the complexity of a life can’t be forced into a shallow mold. The production’s use of kindness and yearning to fulfill human desires rings true for the audience.

The show had me wonder how many times do people in real life put on their version of a hump and smear makeup on their face to fulfill the world’s expectation of them and to hide what they treasure most? How many times are people expected to judge too quickly? What makes a monster and what makes a man?

You can catch this epic tale of “passion and hope” at La Jolla Playhouse until December 14th, at Paper Mill Playhouse from March 4-29th and possibly on Broadway!

What: Inspired by the classic Victor Hugo novel and the only stage collaboration between two giants of American musical theater. Music by Alan Menken (Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Little Shop of Horrors), lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin). An intimate retelling of the famous love story, with a lush, emotionally rich score and a production that will leave you inspired. Not recommended for children under the age of 10. A US premiere by two Broadway legends.

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Golden Moments of Gratitude…

Every day is an opportunity to live with gratitude! Here are some ideas to spark your vision and curiosity to find those golden moments of gratitude.

-Write a handwritten letter to someone you’ve never properly thanked. Send by mail or hand-deliver to make a connection in person.
-Create an appreciation calendar, journal or jar. Each day, write something you’re grateful for and put it on the calendar, in your journal or in a jar to read at the end of the year.
-Turn everything into an opportunity to be grateful. Instead of your normal morning coffee, think of that cup as the gift of coffee. The gift of laughter. The gift of a smile.
-Focus on something you’re looking forward to and be grateful with hope.
-Enjoy the little things. With a small task you do today, such as washing your hands or texting a friend, ask yourself how your life would be without it.